I grew up in the midwest and from what I can remember, the severe storms were about as many in a decade as what we get in Alabama some spring months. I'd take the rarity of the midwest severe storms over this "keep a weather alarm next to your bed" state I live in now.
I have also lived in Georgia. For Alabama and GA to be next to each other, I notice that AL gets more tornadoes and GA gets more snowfall. Appears to be due to the tail end of the Appal. Mtns. and upwind of Gulf moisture.
I grew up in Iowa and remember seeing 1 tornado, of course there were many but I only saw one, but this outbreak is so crazy.